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Using art to heal: Battling cancer in Gaza

One Palestinian female artist’s battle with cancer in Gaza.

Abdulrahman spoke at Gaza's first-ever TEDx event on October 29, 2015, as a cancer survivor and an artist with a story to tell. After her eight-year battle with cancer, which put an end to her marriage, the 26-year-old became a spokeswoman for cancer patients in Gaza and a proactive illustrator, exhibiting her work around Gaza. 'In my exhibitions, I was seen as Aya the successful artist – not Aya the cancer patient,' she said. [Hosam Salem/Al Jazeera]
Abdulrahman spoke at Gaza's first-ever TEDx event on October 29, 2015, as a cancer survivor and an artist with a story to tell. After her eight-year battle with cancer, which put an end to her marriage, the 26-year-old became a spokeswoman for cancer patients in Gaza and a proactive illustrator, exhibiting her work around Gaza. 'In my exhibitions, I was seen as Aya the successful artist – not Aya the cancer patient,' she said. [Hosam Salem/Al Jazeera]
By 
Hosam Salem
12 Feb 2017

Gaza – Aya Abdulrahman was informed by her doctors that she would be dead by the end of 2014.

At 21, she had seven malignant tumours.

“Your daughter has two months left to live. You cannot do anything. Go home,” the doctor told Abdulrahman’s mother.

The painful news, however, did not stop her from pursuing her dreams. Since childhood, all Abdulrahman wanted to do was become an artist and leave her mark on the world through art.

Abdulrahman seized every opportunity that came her way to display her paintings and drawings across the Gaza Strip and abroad, from Los Angeles to Morocco. She participated in art competitions, worked with sick and disabled children in Gaza to have them express themselves through art, and trained youth in drama and acting.

After undergoing a series of surgeries over a three-year span, the locally renowned artist recovered in 2015.

She narrated the journey of her agony and accomplishments in the first TEDx talk in Gaza that year. “The most important thing to me is to bring happiness into people’s lives,” she said during her talk, describing the day she was informed of her recovery as “the best day of her life”.

“I adore seeing a smile on people’s faces,” she continued, adding that her artwork enabled her to do that.

In addition to holding at least 70 local exhibitions, Abdulrahman had her friends who left Gaza take her paintings with them for exhibitions in Los Angeles, Norway, Sweden, Egypt, Britain, Saudi, Egypt, Algeria and Morocco. She was unable to attend any of those exhibitions abroad, due to treatment and long periods spent at the hospital. [Hosam Salem/Al Jazeera]
In addition to holding at least 70 local exhibitions, Abdulrahman had her friends who left Gaza take her paintings with them for exhibitions in Los Angeles, Norway, Sweden, Egypt, Britain, Saudi, Egypt, Algeria and Morocco. She was unable to attend any of those exhibitions abroad, due to treatment and long periods spent at the hospital. [Hosam Salem/Al Jazeera]
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During her treatment period, Abdulrahman spent time visiting sick children and volunteered at cancer institutions. Marah Daeb, right, died in 2016, after suffering kidney failure. [Hosam Salem/Al Jazeera]
During her treatment period, Abdulrahman spent time visiting sick children and volunteered at cancer institutions. Marah Daeb, right, died in 2016, after suffering kidney failure. [Hosam Salem/Al Jazeera]
Israel's decade-long siege on the Gaza Strip has had devastating repercussions for Gaza's cancer patients. Radioactive material, used in radiotherapy for cancer treatment, has long been banned in the occupied Palestinian territories. Chemotherapy drugs are also not consistently available. Abdulrahman was lucky enough to obtain a permit to travel to Israel for treatment, though many others are regularly denied such visits. [Hosam Salem/Al Jazeera]
Israel's decade-long siege on the Gaza Strip has had devastating repercussions for Gaza's cancer patients. Radioactive material, used in radiotherapy for cancer treatment, has long been banned in the occupied Palestinian territories. Chemotherapy drugs are also not consistently available. Abdulrahman was lucky enough to obtain a permit to travel to Israel for treatment, though many others are regularly denied such visits. [Hosam Salem/Al Jazeera]
Abdulrahman looks back at the day her doctors informed her that she had recovered from cancer. She had been suffering for eight years with tumours on her pelvic muscle tissue. She says that Israeli delays granting her an exit permit from Gaza for surgery made her treatment process much longer than it needed to be. At times, it has taken Abdulrahman nine months simply to obtain an exit permit. [Hosam Salem/Al Jazeera]
Abdulrahman looks back at the day her doctors informed her that she had recovered from cancer. She had been suffering for eight years with tumours on her pelvic muscle tissue. She says that Israeli delays granting her an exit permit from Gaza for surgery made her treatment process much longer than it needed to be. At times, it has taken Abdulrahman nine months simply to obtain an exit permit. [Hosam Salem/Al Jazeera]
'My art is simply a reaction to the reality I was living, and I tried to utilise it in helping others, while also expressing myself,' Abdulrahman told Al Jazeera. 'I went through many hardships. Delays in the treatment, difficulties in being transferred to hospitals, and the lack of any treatment in Gaza.' [Hosam Salem/Al Jazeera]
'My art is simply a reaction to the reality I was living, and I tried to utilise it in helping others, while also expressing myself,' Abdulrahman told Al Jazeera. 'I went through many hardships. Delays in the treatment, difficulties in being transferred to hospitals, and the lack of any treatment in Gaza.' [Hosam Salem/Al Jazeera]
In mid-2016, Abdulrahman received news that the cancer had returned and that it had spread to her kidney and spine, in addition to her pelvis. During one of her local exhibitions in Gaza, Abdulrahman hugs the mother of a woman who is being treated with her at an Israeli hospital. [Hosam Salem/Al Jazeera]
In mid-2016, Abdulrahman received news that the cancer had returned and that it had spread to her kidney and spine, in addition to her pelvis. During one of her local exhibitions in Gaza, Abdulrahman hugs the mother of a woman who is being treated with her at an Israeli hospital. [Hosam Salem/Al Jazeera]
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Upon hearing about Abdulrahman's cancer recurrence, the Gaza TEDx team surprised her with gifts. 'It was a day I will never forget. The girls brought me drawing and painting utensils,' said Abdulrahman. [Hosam Salem/Al Jazeera]
Upon hearing about Abdulrahman's cancer recurrence, the Gaza TEDx team surprised her with gifts. 'It was a day I will never forget. The girls brought me drawing and painting utensils,' said Abdulrahman. [Hosam Salem/Al Jazeera]
Though she is on the path to a painful and exhausting treatment process, Abdulrahman’s paintbrush has not left the canvas. Today, she is prepping for a new personal exhibition. 'I decided to turn a new leaf and put my dreams onto paper in my new exhibition,' Abdulrahman told Al Jazeera. [Hosam Salem/Al Jazeera]
Though she is on the path to a painful and exhausting treatment process, Abdulrahman’s paintbrush has not left the canvas. Today, she is prepping for a new personal exhibition. 'I decided to turn a new leaf and put my dreams onto paper in my new exhibition,' Abdulrahman told Al Jazeera. [Hosam Salem/Al Jazeera]
'I didn't expect the cancer to come back so rapidly. It was a shock and I was afraid to destroy the hope for the children I worked with,' said Abdulrahman. She now awaits to be transferred for surgery in Israel. [Hosam Salem/Al Jazeera]
'I didn't expect the cancer to come back so rapidly. It was a shock and I was afraid to destroy the hope for the children I worked with,' said Abdulrahman. She now awaits to be transferred for surgery in Israel. [Hosam Salem/Al Jazeera]
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